Councils Target Inconsiderate Dog Walkers

South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse district councils have put together ‘dog fouling maps’ of local towns and villages showing the areas with the highest number of complaints about owners not picking up after their animals.

Using the maps, the councils want to highlight the issue of dog fouling and remind owners that it is an offence for a person in control of a dog – an owner or dog walker – not to clean up immediately if the dog has fouled on public land.

The councils’ envirocrime officers can issue a £50 fixed penalty notice to someone who fails to clean up after their dog.  If the case goes to court this could cost the owner or person in charge of the animal up to £1,000.

The councils are also trying to tackle the issue of dog walkers putting their pets’ mess in a plastic bag and leaving it as litter on the ground or near a litter bin or sometimes hanging in a tree!

The councils’ envirocrime team patrol popular dog walking areas and talk to dog owners and other residents about the problem.  Dog owners have been issued with fines for dog fouling and residents are being encouraged to report incidents via the councils’ website pages.

More information on the South Oxfordshire District Council news website.

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One Response to Councils Target Inconsiderate Dog Walkers

  1. Sally Duff says:

    Well done SODC for tackling this problem.
    The majority of dog owners are responsible and we, like other members of the public are appalled by the laziness of dog owners who can’t be bothered to pick up their dogs poo, or pick it up and leave it, or worse hang on fence/tree!

    I would welcome the team coming to Long Wittenham to patrol our area.

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